Community finds warmth, comfort at Pekin Christmas Eve luncheon

PEKIN — Ray Ahten, 71, smiled wide when he was shown a seat at the Pekin Township Community Room and volunteers summoned a meal for him.

Then he dug into his ham and potatoes and green beans while sitting alone on Christmas Eve. Ahten's holiday customs have dwindled as the years passed. The retired farmer will visit his brother at an assisted living facility in Green Valley on Christmas Day and will attend a service at Pekin Bible Church at night. He doesn't have much else.

But since 2006, he's found comfort in the annual Christmas Eve dinner at the community room. The meal has been a staple of the community for 26 years, said Pekin Township program director Debbie Besco, with volunteers serving between 300 and 400 meals and delivering more than 150 meals to shut-ins each year. Though it's open to all community members, the gathering aims for people like Ahten who seek a social setting and a warm meal around the holidays.

"It was started to give people a place to go on the holidays to enjoy fellowship and have a good, hot meal," Besco said.

The holiday dinner, along with the monthly seniors meal also hosted at the community room, is funded entirely on donations from local citizens and businesses. Many volunteers help coordinate and run the event, including state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, who holds a second office in the Pekin Township building.

"This township is pretty unique," Koehler said. "They do an excellent job reaching out to the community, making sure the people are fed, that a meal is delivered. It's just a nice thing to do, especially on Christmas Eve."

Ahten has hailed from the Pekin area since 1951, and events such as the holiday dinner and the monthly meal for seniors keep him from becoming detached from the community. And he can't turn down a hot meal — free of charge — and the chance to socialize with some fellow community members. He starts out alone eating his meal, but eventually someone will sit nearby and pass the time.

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Thomas Bruch can be reached at 686-3188 or tbruch@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasBruch.